WHEREAS, the Council of the City of Eugene, on behalf of the people of Eugene, supports the men and women deployed in Iraq, and honors the memory of those who have lost their lives or suffered injury in the war; and

WHEREAS, U.S. involvement in Iraq has resulted in the deaths of more than 3,000 U.S. troops, 80 in Oregon, and the wounding and disabling of more than 22,000 U.S. military personnel to date; and

WHEREAS, the costs of the call-up of Oregon National Guard members for deployment in Iraq has been significant, as reckoned in lost lives, combat injuries, psychic trauma, grieving, as well as the dramatic disruption within the families of the dead and wounded, financial hardship for individuals, families and businesses, interruption of careers and damage to the fabric of civic life in many Oregon communities; and

WHEREAS, in October 2002, the United States Congress adopted a Joint Resolution to authorize the use of United States Armed Forces in Iraq on the basis of an alleged imminent threat of attack by Iraq, using alleged weapons of mass destruction, and, in addition, on the basis that Saddam Hussein had played an active role in the 9/11 attacks on the United States, both of which bases have subsequently been shown to be unfounded; and

WHEREAS, the war and occupation has caused an estimated 650,000 Iraqi deaths, including men, women and children, according to an October 11 study British medical journal, The Lancet; and

WHEREAS, countless more Iraqis have been maimed, traumatized and wounded, or have suffered the destruction of homes, businesses, schools, sanitation and water treatment plants, hospitals, and, in general, much of their economic infrastructure; and

WHEREAS, the Iraqi people have held their own elections and called for a timetable for the withdrawal of the U.S. armed forces from Iraq; and

WHEREAS, more than $360 billion has been appropriated by Congress to fund the invasion and subsequent occupation of a country that posed no threat to the U.S., which funds were removed from education, health care, housing, nutrition and other social services in the United States, as well as humanitarian assistance abroad; and

WHEREAS, the U.S. invasion and occupation of Iraq highlights our dependence on imported oil for our energy needs and uses funds that could be better allocated to developing alternatives to fossil fuels; and

WHEREAS, the more than $102 million spent by Eugene taxpayers to date on the war and occupation in Iraq could have provided one year's Head Start for nearly 14,000 Eugene children; or one year's medical insurance for more than 61,000 Eugene children; or one year's Head Start for nearly 14,000 Eugene children; or one year's medical insurance for more than 61,000 Eugene children; or one year's salary for more than 1775 public school teachers in Eugene; or more than 900 additional housing units in Eugene, or nearly 5000 four- year scholarships at public universities in Oregon, according to the National Priorities Project; and

WHEREAS, the Oregon AFL-CIO, at their October, 2005, convention, approved a resolution calling for the immediate return of the Oregon National Guard; and

WHEREAS, the war and continued occupation have resulted in the devastation of Iraq's physical and social infrastructure and led to widespread and continuous resistance to a U.S. occupation that threatens the lives of Iraqi civilians, the men and women who compose the ranks of U.S. and other occupying forces; and

WHEREAS, according to recent polls, two out of three Americans disapprove of the way President Bush has handled the war in Iraq.

NOW, THEREFORE BE IT RESOLVED, That the Council of the City of Eugene, on behalf of the people of Eugene, urge the United States government to immediately commence a rapid and orderly withdrawal of United States military personnel from Iraq; and

BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED, That the Council of the City of Eugene, on behalf of the people of Eugene, urge the Congress of the United States to vote against further funding of the Iraq occupation by U.S. forces, commencing with FY 2008 (October 1, 2007), except for funds necessary to carry out a safe, rapid and orderly withdrawal that fully protects American troops from harm and to expedite necessary reconstruction in Iraq; and

BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED, That the Council of the City of Eugene, on behalf of the people of Eugene, urge the United States government to pursue regional diplomatic efforts with the countries that border Iraq, including both Iran and Syria, with the goal of producing stability in Iraq; and

BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED, That the financial resources used to prosecute the war be redirected, as they become available, to address the urgent needs of the most vulnerable portions of our population, including education, health care and full benefits for returning veterans, as well as to fund the development of non-carbon producing alternatives for our energy needs.

BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED, That a suitable copy of this resolution shall be sent to George W. Bush, President of the United States, the members of the Oregon Congressional delegation, the Oregon State legislature and Oregon Governor Ted Kulongoski.